Diagram of inter-contour support. Credit: 3Dprint.com
The application was filed in September 2013 for creating smoother external surfaces when using the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technique.
3DPrint.com reported on the released document, which “describes techniques and apparatuses for smooth 3D printing using multi-stage filaments”.
The techniques work by determining “a portion of a surface of a 3D object that includes, or will include, a printing artefact or is otherwise not smooth, and then applies multi-stage filaments to provide a smoothing surface over that portion”.
Specifically, the patent covers four claims. The first is for when a 3D printed object has a stair-stepping imperfection which is layered with a “smoothing surface” to remove the imperfection.
Secondly, it covers the ability to adjust the angle when the “smoothing surface” is applied and to alter the viscosity of the filament while 3D printing, by means of changing the temperature. This facet is based on the “support-to-support” distance, measured between one edge of the stair-step/level to the point of contact on the next step up, and how this relates to the filament’s “droop distance”, the maximum distance at which the filament can maintain its shape.
The third claim is for computer-readable media containing instructions both for determining if the 3D object will need an artefact and facilitating the creation of the “smoothing layer”. This also applies to media able to create intra-contour support for the “smoothing layer” and to construct smooth non-planar surfaces, while maintaining the desired dimensions of the object.
Lastly, it applies to a controller on a filament-providing element on the printing device able to use sensor data to determine that an object has a surface flaw, and then adding the “smoothing surface” to that area.
Adobe announced in October 2014 its plans to integrate 3D printing with its Photoshop software, including the ability to export 3D models to PDF files. Also in 2014, software developers Topolabs looked into ways to improve the finish quality of FDM prints by creating a package to engage all three axes of the printer when depositing the filament.